House Republican Suggests Returning D.C. to Maryland

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Rep. John Mica (R-Florida) questions the witnesses during a House Oversight Committee hearing entitled 'Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions,' Sept. 19, 2013. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Updated at 3:36 PM EDT on Thursday, Jul 24, 2014

A House Republican who chairs a subcommittee overseeing the District of Columbia is suggesting giving most of the District back to Maryland and "possibly" getting rid of the local government.

Rep. John Mica of Florida made the comments to WTTG-TV after Wednesday's ceremonial groundbreaking with Donald Trump for a luxury hotel downtown.

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Asked about President Barack Obama's support for District statehood, Mica said: "The president must be spending too much time in Colorado, because you'd have to be high to think that Congress or anyone else is going to support making the District of Columbia the 51st state."

Mica suggested that a way for District residents to gain congressional representation would be to make most of the city part of Maryland, "and possibly disband the D.C. Council."

The District of Columbia was formed with land from both Maryland to Virginia, but the land on the western side of the Potomac River was later returned to Virginia in a move known as retrocession.